Not all birds sing songs. Some birds make no sound at all.

The birds that sing songs are called songbirds, perching birds, or passerines. They belong to the diverse Passeriformes order of birds.

Songbirds are found all over the world. They include Blue Jays, Bowerbirds, Bulbuls, Crows, Cuckoos, Finches, Flycatchers, Lyrebirds, Shrikes, Sparrows, Starlings, Nightingales, Warblers, Weavers, Wrens, and many more.

Songbirds have a highly-developed vocal organ near their windpipe and lungs, called a syrinx or a song box.

The syrinx is solid and bony with a film of membranes which air passes through as the songbird sings.

Many birds, such as Starlings, sing notes too high for humans to hear.

Photographer: Martina Nicolls

Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM